Grasmere CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from attending this safe, happy school that is very much at the heart of the local community. Pupils who spoke with me and parents and carers are proud of the school and have great trust in the staff.

They told me that staff are kind, always willing to listen and will go out of their way to offer help and support.

Pupils benefit from lessons that are interesting and exciting. Pupils are very keen to learn and are rarely absent.

Leaders are determined that all pupils will be successful. They ensure that pupils develop exceptionally strong personal skills as well as learning about different subjects.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.
<...br/>They treat one another and the adults in school with great respect and maturity. Pupils said that there is no bullying and that they are very rarely mean to one another.

Trips and visits are a very important part of school life.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about residential visits to London, where they visit the Houses of Parliament and watch a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre. They also visit many other interesting places to learn, for example, about history, geography and different religious faiths.

Pupils make a real difference within the wider community.

They perform in plays and concerts as well as raising funds for charities and caring for the environment.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and governors are determined that pupils will have the best possible start in their education. They ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well and really enjoy their time in school.

Pupils become fluent and confident readers from the earliest possible stage. Highly skilled staff give them a thorough grounding in phonics. Teachers build on this and pupils soon understand the meaning of a wide range of texts.

Pupils love books and enjoy reading for pleasure. They typically comment, 'reading is amazing – you can create your own movie in your head'.

Pupils achieve well.

For example, in mathematics, they build on a firm foundation in basic methods of calculation, to quickly learn to apply their skills to a range of increasingly complex problems. Pupils are able to explain why one approach to solving a problem works better than another.

Leaders continually improve the curriculum to make sure that pupils know more and remember more.

Subject leaders help teachers to plan lessons that build on things that pupils already know. Frequent opportunities for research, investigations and practical experiments help pupils develop good skills for the future, for example as scientists or engineers. Nevertheless, pupils' work across the wider curriculum is not always of the same quality that it is in reading and mathematics.

This is because teachers' expectations of what pupils can do are not as high in subjects other than reading and mathematics.

Pupils are exceptionally keen to learn as much as they can. Lessons are lively, with pupils eagerly contributing to discussions.

Not a moment is wasted – even at lunchtimes, pupils listen and respond to a range of different music. Pupils we spoke to during the inspection were bursting with enthusiasm to share the interesting things happening in school and talk about what they were learning.

Staff in the early years know how children learn best.

Partnerships with parents are strong. Children develop good relationships with adults from the start and swiftly settle into school. The early years leader has a clear view of what children need to know and when to learn it.

This means that children are ready to start Year 1 when they finish the Reception Year.

Pupils are curious. They know the difference between facts and opinions.

They ask mature questions about current affairs and events that have happened in the past. Leaders foster this through providing an extensive range of opportunities beyond the classroom. Aside from trips and visits, pupils take part in local environmental projects.

They form their own political parties in school and hold elections during national campaigns. Pupils respond to events in the wider world. For example, when they heard of a terrorist incident in New Zealand recently, they performed a Haka in tribute to the victims and their families.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that pupils are very safe in school. The procedures in place to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children are meticulously followed.

All staff are well trained, including in first aid. They know how to protect pupils from harm, recognising the early signs that may mean pupils are at risk.

Leaders make sure that pupils know what to do if they are worried about anything.

They also ensure that the school's internet connection is appropriately monitored and filtered.

Leaders work effectively with other agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families receive timely support for their needs.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

There is a coherent approach to planning for progress through the wider curriculum.

However, teachers do not always expect enough of pupils in lessons in subjects other than English and mathematics. Pupils' achievement across the full range of subjects is not as good as it is in reading and mathematics. Leaders should ensure that teachers' expectations of the amount and quality of pupils' work are consistently high across all subject areas.